The present invention relates to the field of educational construction toy devices and artistic constructions. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toy which can be constructed into a variety of various three-dimensional forms of joining rods together with flexible linking rings.
Toy construction devices having struts and members for joining the struts in interlocking relationship to form a three-dimensional structure are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,281,832, Oct. 15, 1918, to post; and 3,998,003, Dec. 21, 1976, to Rosenbaum teach construction toys wherein a plurality of rods or struts are joined by linking members having sockets for supporting and joining ends of the struts. Another example of a toy construction is shown in U.s. Pat. No. 3,927,489, Dec. 23, 1975, to Bernstein which discloses a construction toy having rod-like channels with connectors on the ends thereof which attach to ring members for joining the rod-like channels together.
It, of course, can be readily appreciated that construction toys which are limited by prescribed angular relationships of joined rods limit the range of forms which can be erected therefrom. Thus, it would be desirable to have a rod or strut construction which employs joining members allowing an infinite number of angular relationships. Of course, it would also be desirable if the construction toy could be economically provided so as to be readily available at a reasonable cost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a construction toy which can be assembled in a variety of shapes in accordance with the imagination of the builder. Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction toy in which the parts thereof are joinable to each other in an infinite variety of angular relationships. Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction toy which can be economically manufactured to minimize the cost of the construction toy and to promote the use thereof. These and other objects will become apparent from the following disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims appended hereto.